With the high humidity this week, the risk for mosquito bites and West Nile Virus are also on the rise.

“This year has been very very bad. If you’ve noticed that you can walk outside and walk next to a tree and then you’re eaten alive. That’s even in the middle of the day,” says Eastern Regional Director of Griffin Pest Solutions, Mark Davenport.

With more rain and summer heat in the forecast, pest experts say the blood suckers will likely ramp up their breeding efforts.

“We have the flood waters coming through from the snow melt and we’ve had quite a bit this year, so all those flood water mosquitoes are now hatched and populated,” says Davenport.

So far in 2019, the West Nile Virus has been detected only in mosquitoes and birds in Saginaw and Oakland counties according to state health officials.

However in 2018, more than 100 people were sickened with the West Nile or other arbroviruses across the state.

Keeping people on their toes and pest experts busy.

“Since we had the West Nile scare up in the Saginaw County area, that’s been a lot of our calls because it’s a health concern with mosquitoes,” says Davenport.

He says along with getting your yard professionally sprayed, there are a few things you can do to help prevent mosquito bites.

For example, removing standing water on your property like bird baths or kiddie pools.

Keeping grass cut short.

Using repellents with one of the active ingredients below:

  • DEET
  • Picaridin
  • IR3535
  • Oil of lemon eucalyptus (OLE) or para menthane-diol (PMD)
  • 2-undecanone

Wearing long pants and socks during the early morning hours or evening.

“Just protect yourself and your family, keep the repellents on you,” says Davenport.